Progressive Liberty Party (Cobura)
The Progressive Liberty Party (PLP) was founded by Adam French in 3228, who believed that Cobura needed a new, solid party to stand up for personal liberties and economic sensibility. Ideology The central tenant of the Progressive Liberty Party is Progressivism, the belief that society changes and the state's rules ought to change with it. Progressivism should not be mistaken as the sole domain of the Left -- the Progressive Liberty Party certainly doesn't. On social issues, the PLP is usually categorized as Left or Libertarian, and as Center-Left on economic issues. Though there is little to no intraparty advocacy of social conservatism, Party members may be sharply divided on the economy. There are few who belong to the Far Left, and only a slightly higher number who have adopted laissez faire policies. A majority of PLP voters are concentrated in the center, with the Center-Left very slightly outnumbering the Center-Right. In the realm of foreign policy, the PLP is nearly unanimous in its support of peaceful international cooperation and aversion to military intervention. Progressive Liberty Party Platform (Dated 3244) *We believe that the individual may be trusted, and that society will only progress when this trust is invested in citizens. *We believe that the purpose of government is to ensure security, and so feel that the law ought to be used only to protect citizens. We are opposed to legislation that impairs this goal. *We believe in progressivism. Society changes, and society's rules must reflect that. *We believe that war is too destructive to be waged except in the most dire of circumstances. *We abhor all forms of tyranny, whether it be instituted in the government, in corporations, or in the masses. *We believe that our society ought to be fair, but not restrict those with the motivation and skill to improve their condition. *We believe that nuclear energy holds the most promise for Cobura's future. Party Structure Progressive headquarters were located in Hudson, Irkawa. The Party was fairly centralized, with little decision-making allocated to local offices. The exception was Tokundi, in which the central office gave extra leeway to the state-level Party, in order to better accomodate Tokundi's unique culture. History Foundation The Progressive Liberty Party was founded shortly after the election of 3228 by former diplomat Adam French, who sought to bring the libertarian ideology of the Party for Individualism to the Center-Left. At its initial conception, the Progressive Liberty Party was closely associated with the Coburan Leftist Congress, the Social Congress, and the Labour Party. Soon, however, the Progressives became more closely associated with their political predecessors in the Party for Individualism. Election of 3232 Since 3220, the Presidency had been the sole domain of the Social Congress. As the election of 3232 approached, it seemed that this trend would continue, ensuring that the Social Congress held a great deal of power in Cobura. Adam French, fearing that sixteen years of a single-party Presidency could lead to an unfair Social Congress domination, brokered a deal among the Progressives, Individualists, and the Conservative Capitalist Party. Both the Progressives and Conservatives refused to endorse a Presidential candidate from the other party due to an ideological disparity. The Individualists, however, were closely associated with both parties, and so the PLP and PCP put aside differences to endorse Individualist Presidential candidate Kim Debkowski. The deal worked, and Debkowski captured the Presidency. Interim The PfI-PCP-PLP alliance of 3232 was restricted to the Presidency, and the Progressives did not enter into the cabinet, nor did they seek to. In the next election of 3236, the Conservative Capitalist Party broke the Debkowski-backing alliance, once again running their own candidate, Matthew Hogan. Neither Hogan nor Debkowski were successful in their bids, handing the Presidency back to the Social Congress. Coalition In 3240, the Party struck a pact with the Individualists: both parties would vote down a cabinet that did not include the other. This deal, combined with the political climate in the Federal Assembly, made sure that both the Progressive Liberty Party and the Party for Individualism would be included in the Cabinet. The agreement has worked out to the mutual satisfaction of both parties, and it remains in place today. Initially, the Progressives were expecting to go into government with the Social Congress and The Left. Instead, bickering between the Social Congress and Party for Individualism led to this being an impossibility, and the PLP and PfI instead partnered with the True Representation Party. This coalition was marred by scandal from Lena Wais, but proved durable, lasting until 3252. The coalition proved most advantageous to the Progressives in 3244, when the endorsement of the Party for Individualism propelled Adam French to the office of President. Demise In 3247, Adam French announced that, feeling he had accomplished his goals, would not be seeking re-election, endorsing the Individualist candidate instead. This move led to the renewal of a debate that had remained in the Party since its inception: was the break from the Individualists a good idea? An increasing number of Progressives claimed that splitting the vote was detrimental to Individualism, and with the Progressive Liberty Party moving to the right and the Party for Individualism moving to the left, a joint PLP-PfI party conference was called in 3250. As a result of the conference, the Progressive Liberty Party merged into the Party for Individualism just before the 3252 election, ceasing to exist as an independent party. The move was, of course, not without controversy, but was widely regarded as a good decision by both Progressives and Individualists. Notable Politicians The two most prominent members of the Progressive Liberty Party were Adam French and Roslyn Nuckols. Category:Political parties in Cobura